THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1UG7.
WT1
T
CAN
BE MADE FERTILE
Malheur County Contains 300,
000 Acres Susceptible
to Irrigation. .
POPULATION IS ONLY 8000
About 8500 Square Miles, Embrac
ing Many Fertile Valleys and Im
mense Stock Range, Included
In State's Second County.
VAI-B. Or.. March 17. (Special.)
Malheur County is the second county
In size In the State of Oregon and rep
repents an area of about 8500 square
miles, including: 27 townships from
north to south, and townships from
east to west. It represents a part of
what is known as the desert area of
the United States and bas a popula
tion of about R000. Its topography is
mountainous, being a lava formation
to a great extent, through which dif
ferent streams find their way to the
Snake River, making fertile the val
leys of this big territory.
There are in cultivation at the pres
ent tlmo about 60,000 acres of land
.in this whole county, while there is
'estimated to be about 300,000 acres of
land susceptible of cultivation by irri
gation projects or by dry land farm
ing, in case the latter process proves
successful in this county. The remain
der of the land In Malheur County is
ranee and can be used only for graz
ing. The range represents several mil
lion acres of land which cannot be
reached bv water or utilised by known
fiirmlni? methods. This is the future
stock area of the county.
The area of this county now In cul
tivation or subject to cultivation, as
outlined upon the best reports obtain
able, follows:
Division of County.
The Malheur Valley -with 47 sections
now in cultivation and about 63 sec
tions subject to cultivation either by
Irrigation projects or dry farming
methods.
The Owyhee Valley with six sections
in cultivation and 43 susceptible of
cultivation.
The Snake River Valley, with 50
sections In cultivation and 55 sections
susceptible of cultivation.
The- Lower Willow Creek Valley with 9
sections in cultivation and 129 sections
susceptible of cultivation. In this val
ley the Christian Federation has pur
chased reservoir sites and proposes to
irrigate.
Agency Valley with six sections in culti
vation. Cow Valley and Upper Willow Creek
Valley with 12 sections in cultivation and
44 susceptible of cultivation. This valley
will also be covered by the Christian
Federation project-
Juntura Valley with four sections In
cultivation.
Bully Creek and Clover Creek valleys,
six sections tn cultivation and five sec
tions susceptible of cultivation.
Jordan Valley with ten sections In culti
vation.
Thus it Is shown on conservative est!
mate that ISO sections are now tn cult!
vation in this countrr and that with
proper methods there can be put In culti
vation at the lowest estimate 329 sec
tlons. This represents the total area of
the farming lands In the county. It is
equivalent to a strip of land 12 miles In
width and 40 miles in length.
The annual rnlnfall in Malheur County
rxceeds 12 inches, the Winters are mild
ind the Summers are not oppressive. Dur
ing the present Winter the temperature.
as recorded by the Government thermom
eter, in no instance fell more than to de
crees below aero. It is usually very mild
and healthy.
This country is known preeminently as
a stock country, although practically all
products that can be raised in a mod
erate climate thrive here. l ne assess
ment rolls show there are 9534 horses and
mules. 34.39S cattle, and 183,930 sheep in
this county this year.
Hay Is Main Product.
The main agricultural product of this
tountv is hay. This Is a profitable crop,
As from two to three crops are produced
each year, according to the amount of
water used for irrigation. Altaira is
Hacked on the ground In stacks holdmg
from 100 to 500 tons. It is sold to the
sheep and cattle owners who drive their
bands of stock tn the hay for the Winter
and feed it out by wagonloads.
Tho Interior trade is surprising in the
manner that it is handled. Teams that
So the forwarding and freighting business
to the Interior are driven by a jerk-line.
Many six and eight-horse freighting out
fits go to the interior each few weeks,
loaded down with goods for the mer
chants, stock salt and supplies for the
cheep men, or merchandise for the ranch
ers. A genaral merchandise firm in this
part of the state will do from J1O.O00 to
l5.000 worth of business in a single month.
It takes heavy capital to handle the mer
chandise of this section, as purchases
must be made in quantity sufficient" to
stand a tig run on the necessities and
stork supplies.
The range question Is a live question
In this county, as it is expected the range
will become better. Givernment super
vision, properly managed, will undoubt
edly benefit the range. At the present
time too much stock has been allowed to
run and It has had no chance to replen
lsh itself. Each year herds of cattle and
sheep have been driven over the same
ground until the bunchgrass has been de
stroyed. Two years careful husbanding
of the range would bring it back to its
natural state. It Is recognized that Gov
ernment supervision should be taken with
a view to protecting the rights of those
who have placed large sums of money
In the Industry and hare large bands of
v-theep and cattle that must be taken care
of, but that the range should be pre
served is the opinion of all.
Vale is a town of about SCO people and
has made material progress during the
last year in brick and stone stores and
warehouses, and has added about 40 res!
dences. It is at the Juncture of the Mai
heur. Willow Creek and Bulky Creek val
leys, the largest and best valleys In the
county. The principal towns of the
county are Ontario. Vale, Nyssa, W9t
fall, Malheur and Jordan Valley.
WILL PATE MAIX STREET.
EiiReno to Expend Large Sums for
Municipal Improvements.
E1K-JEXE. Or., March 17. Opeclal.
The successful passage of the street
, raving ordinance by tho City Council at
: tin last session, mailsa. .another ata. la
Municipal Improvement for Eugene and if
the work planned is earned out, the next
12 months will see more improvements for
he streets of Eugene than have been
made during any previous two years.
The paving of Willamette street from
the depot to the intersection of Eleventh
street with bitullthlc pavement will cost
the city and property owners $24,754, ac
cording to the estimate of the City
Surveyor. This estimate does not include
the co3t of paving the seven feet in the
middle of the street which will be borne
toy the Willamette Valley Company,
which, is under contract with the city to
complete the street railway over this
section by October 1, 1907.
A number of streets will be gravelled
during the Summer months, and marked
improvements are being made in the
driveways of the new city park. Con-
tracts have been let for the grading 01
two driveways in the park which will be
connected by two more roads making it
possible to reach almost any point Dy
carriage.
Electric Line at Milton.
MILTON. Or.. March 17. (Special.) The
Walla Walla Valley Traction Company
now has its track laid down to the head
of Main street in this city, and it will be
only a few days when there will be hourly
service tietween tills city ana waua
Walla, Wash. This will be a great bene
fit to Milton and vicinity, and will mate
rially aid the already rapid growth of
Milton. This city Is now In a very pros
perous condition: all the principal streets
are being brought to proper grade, and
many changes for the better - have re
cently taken place. There will soon be a
$15,000 hotel erected. .. n t-
These Handsome New Buildings Tell the
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MEDFORD, Or., March 17. (Special.)
Within the past week the two
oldest banks In this city the Med-
ford National and the Jackson. County
Bank, have occupied new and handsome
structures completed for them at a cost
of little less than 1100,000. Both are hand
some as to exterior and modern in their
interior construction, and each is equipped
with the most medorn fire and burglar
resisting devices. Probably no other city
of equal population on the Pacific Coast
has more reason to feet proud of her
financial institutions than Medford. The
two banks named, with the First Na
tional, which also occupies a new and
handsome building recently, completed,
represent a paid-up capital of $150,000, with
deposits of ll.5on.ooo.
-Xbe three toaaUc htlil,,t"Fa a .hp H"
LA GRANDE HAS BIG BOH
RECORD-BREAKING SEASON FOR
NEW BUILDINGS ON.
Find Hospital to Be Erected Brick
Factory Enlarged Other Indus
trial News From This Section.
LA GRANDE! Or., March 17. (Spe
cial.) The coming season, from pres
ent prospects, will be a record-breaker
In the amount of building Improve
ments going on In this city. Four mil
lion brick Is the estimated require
ment for new structures In La Grande
now In sight. Among the principal
buildings are the Roesch block, ware
house for G. B. Fowler, building 90x110
for the Lang Wholesale Grocery Com
pany, two-story rooming-house for
Miss Maggie D. Mahaffey, the 16,000
hospital building, two-story steam and
pipe-fitting establishment cf G. H.
Sutherland & Co., addition for bottling
department for the La Grande Brew
ery, O. R. & N. storeroom and oil house,
and a large number of smaller struc
tures. George Krieger' has invested
$12,000 in new equipment for the brick
yards at Oro Dell. The new machin
ery Is expected to arrive within a few
1 $75,000 school building, the Moore Hotel
I block, the new Hotel Nash, the Emerlck
block, the Hubbard block a large and
substantially built structure the Big Bend
Milling Company's new block and three
smaller brick buildings on the West Side
represent a single year's improvemnt
in the business district. The build
ings mentioned are of brick and
stone, modern In design and repre
sent an expenditure of over fcMO.OuO.
Medford is making substantial progress
and the building boom has just begun. A
modern light and water system, electric
street railway and paved streets are as
sured, the prelimnary arrangements for
all having been completed.
In addition to this Medford has a coal
supply of undoubted good quality and un
raoanx discoverar oX a-
days, and when it Is Installed the
yards will have a capacity of 40.000
brick per day. About B0 men will be
employed. In addition to the regular
quality, Mr. Krieger expectB to put
out three different grades of pressed
brick. He has the machinery for the
manufacture of drainage tiling.
The Wilcox Bros, have disposed of
their Interests -in the Wilcox Lumber
Company to other members of the as
sociation, the principal ones of which
are J. W. Messner, of Baker City, and
W. J. Stapish. of Anderson, Indiana.
The name of the company continues
the same with Mr. Messner as presi
dent and L. H. Russell as secretary
and manager. It is said that there will
be no material change in the company's
plans. The Wilcox brothers will re
turn to Indiana.
The sawmills at Perry and Meacham
are arranging to begin the season's
work. The mills at Perry have been
overhauled during the Winter, and are
now In shape for a regular output of
100,000 feet per day. The principal
log supply will come from Rock Creek
railroads. J. F. Nibley, of tho Meach
am Lumber Company, reports that they
have 1.000,000 feet of logs for a be
ginning, and their six-mile logging
railway is busy every day bringing in
more. The new band mill at Meacham
has a capacity of 40,000 feet per day.
It will employ between 50 and 60
hands, and historic Meacham will soon
take on its oldtime hum.
The large engine for the Palmer
sawmill has been put in position. It
Is the biggest piece of machinery In
this section of the country, not -even
excepting the giant of the Amalgamat
ed Sugar Company. H "T - r
12-foot vein within five miles of the city
1 xuiv jxrozniaea to. outxival alljxrevlous dls- I
RAILROAD EXTENSION WORK
EMPLOYS 1000 MEN.
New Policy of Retrenchment Does
Not Appear to Affect Branch
Lines in ' Idaho.
LEWISTON. Idaho, March 17. (Special.)
Men are now at work upon the O. R. &
N. and Northern Pacific joint terminals
within the city limits and the Rlparla ex
tension of the O. R. & N. across the river
under the new bridge. Construction Is
also progressing on a union depot, and
graders have been put to work on the
Lewiston & Southeastern Electric road at
this end of the line. Lewiston therefore
Is looking forward to an unusually busy
summer. With the employment of at
least 10000 men within the radius of a mile
of the business center, it is expected that
money will be plentiful and business will
be more active than It has been through
out the winter.
Chief Engineer Woods of the eleotrle
road has completed his permanent survey
into Grangeville, the southern terminal.
The survey from here to Waha has also
been completed and the crew is now con
necting the two surveys at Waha. Ad
vices from the Bast are to the effeot that
the necessary bonds have been signed and
sold. Actual construction work Is ex
Story of Medford's Progress
coverles, and as It adjoins Southern Pa-
cine Ra.tlwaj .iand. it is not improbable
pected to begin as son as the contracts
can be advertised for. considered and let.
The Clearwater river Is falling so rapid
ly that it is expected work can be com
menced on the final pier of the O. R. &
N. bridge at any time. When it has been
completed, which will be within three
weeks, the laying of the steel structure
can be begun. By the time the bridge is
ready for trafflo the rails will be In place
from Rlparla to the approach opposite
this city. There are only six more miles
of grading to be done on the extension.
Rapid progress Is being made on the
Culdesac extension of the Northern Paci
fic. The driving of the tunnel has been
accomplished more rapidly than was ex
pected. On the prairie the grading Is
completed in sections all the way to
Grangeville. There are reasons for be
lieving that the Northern Pacific will
have to change Its course through Culde
sac. Three steam shovels, working day
and night, can not take the earth from
the cut east of the city as rapidly as it
slides back In from the mountain. It Is
an engineering problem which the road
has been unable to solve. The new pro
posed route will go around, instead of
through, the slide.
Oyster Industry la Growing.
SOUTH BEND, Wash., March. 17. (Spe
cial.) The oyster growers of the Willapa.
will Increase their importations of East
ern seed oysters, this Spring. Last Spring
there were over 90 cars of Eastern seed
oysters shipped into South Bend and
planted on the beds In this vicinity. This
Spring over 100 cars already have been
ordered. The Sound country planted only
eight cars last season. This gives some
idea of the extent of oyster culture on
Willapa harbor.
that the company will be Interested In
j Uje develapmeat . of the mine, .
OF
DEVILS GOUNTRY
Great Copper Deposits Only
Part of Its Wonderful Nat
ural Resources.
FARMS AND FORESTS T0C
JBulIdlug of Railroad and Develop
ment of Power of Snake River
Insure Rapid Settlement
of Great Valley.
BAKER CITY, March' 17,-(Speclal.)
Without much doubt, the greatest unde
veloped copper minim; district in
the . United States Is what is com
monly termed tie Seven Devils coun
try, situated on both sides of the
Snake Klver In Oregon and Idaho.
Not only is this a coming copper
camp, but it is also wonderfully rich
in . gold. There are at least 00,000 tons of
commercial copper ore now in blnns and
stacks and on the dumps of the Peacock,
Deoorah. Alaska. White Monument,
Queen and King copper mines in this
district, and all this work has been done
by lessees. With railroad transportation,
such as is now promised, the development
work and actual 'production of ore will
be enormous.'
Heretofore all the ore shipped from
tbese mines has been sorted, hauled by
wagons over almost impassable roads,
and shipped to the smelter at Sumpter,
Or., or to Salt Lake, Utah. There are
thousands of tons of ore running 7 per
cent and over before sorting now await
ing shipment. There are huge dykes pro.
trading from the ground throughout this
entire district that will average 10 per
cent copper and much of the rock runs
as high as to par cent and 60 per cent
of copper. This may seem too highly col
ored, but It Is true. All along Snake River
for a distance of 20 miles below the fa
mous Iron Iyke mine a pick and a shovel
could open a rich copper mine, the ore
of which would also carry high values In
gold.
The Iron Dyke, situated a few mllea
below the mouth of Pine Creek, is truly
a wonder and now employs 40 miners.
Men are also employed In getting out tim
ber for the construction of a 100-ton con
centrating plant, whioh will 4--1ve employ
ment to 100 monk laborers.
Adjoining this mice is another group.
owned by Cincinnati people, that is being
rapidly developed into a great property.
There are numerous valuable prospects in
the Immediate vicinity, among which are
the McDougall group, the Kirby group,
and the Reeves group. All these claims
are on the Oregon side. Acroes the river -
are numerous prospects and mines, one of
which produced the solid chunk of native
copper weighing SO pounds that was sent
to the exposition at Portland.
Riches of Salmon River.
Salmon River skirts the rear of the
Idaho portion of the Seven Devils dis
trict, rich In copper and gold mines and
splendid timber. The Imnaha. to tho
North, on the Oregon side, also has its
millions in copper, gold anil timber that
cannot be surpassed. One mine owned
by Detroit capitalists, situated upon this
stream, issued stock which was sold at
19 cents, only to be repurchased gladly
by the former owners at 75 cents a share.
Below the Seven Devils there Is a pla
teau of about 15.000 acres of as line wheat
land as ever lay out of doors, and down
the river there are from 5000 to 10,000 acres
more of good land, all open to location.
This latter tract, situated as it Is at such
a low altitude and jwotected by the im
mense mountains that everywhere sur
round It. Is admirably adapted to the
raising of sweet potatoes, grapes, pea
nuts, English walnuts, almonds, and all
kinds of tender fruits and vegetables.
These agricultural and fruit-growing
lands, marvelously rich deposits of cop
per and gold, and the vast forests of the
whole region make this one of the rich
est undeveloped sections of the country.
This district- is now soon to be thronged
with settlers by the construction of the
railroad from (Huntington down the Snake
River to Lewiston. Twenty-two sub
contractors and all the men and teams
available are hard at work on the first
32 miles of this water-level route to the
Pacific and work is being rushed by the
Importation of both teams and men.
The construction company received by
rail 200 teams this week, and 500 more
teams are en route to the scene of this
activity. The road in reaching Iron Dyke,
the objective point, by September, will
bore a tunnel 2560 feet long through what
is termed the "ox-bow." a great bend In
the Snake River. Work is now progress
ing upon this tunnel.
Will Generate Electric Power.
Through this same ox-bow. three tun
nels are to be driven for the purpose of
t diverting the waters of the Snake River
and generating electric power for the use
of the many mines and other industries
throughout the region. The power com
pany now has 100 men employed con
structing a dam across Pine Creek and
cutting timber for the great dam across
Snake River. This dam will be 32 feet
high and 1000 feet long when completed.
The company is Installing a large saw
mill with which to cut the five million
feet of lumber to be used In the dam. The
overflow will be 760 feet long. It is esti
mated that this dam will require, in addi
tion to the lumber. 16,000 barrels of cement
and 100.000 pounds of steel, and will fur
nish employment for 1200 men for two
years.
This dam, when completed, will divert
the waters of the Snake River through
a system of three tunnels, each IS feet
wide, 8 feet high, and 1660 feet long, and
will be bored so that the top of each tun
nel will be some 4 feet below the crest
of the dam, thereby increasing the press
ure. With this great enterprise, now actual
ly under way. and the marvelous stimu
lus that transportation will give to the
mining, agricultural and lumber Indus
tries. It is no wonder that there Is a
constant stream of immigration Into the
Seven Devils. It is safe to say that In
less than six months from this date the'
Seven Devils will become widely known
and the best part of it is that with such
a diversity of opportunities the history
of its rise will not be marred by the
numerous stories of disappointment and
failure that usually attend the sudden
growth of mining camps.
This wonderful copper region will and
can vouch for itself as a mineral won
der, but the other natural advantages can-
cot help attracting all who visit It,
R GHES